safe and sound
by wilted flame
Summary: — after all the horrors they've faced, sometimes they just need to be reminded that they're no longer alone. / [Future-fic] Tsukiyomi siblings-centric. Kutau & Amuto


**A/N:** It's 2:45 AM, so I'm betting that I'm going to regret publishing this once I go back and reread later in the day. I haven't looked back on this series in a while, but it was always one of my favorites and in a bout of nostalgia I wrote this. What was going through my mind writing this is that it must've taken a while for Utau and Ikuto to get over all the terrible things that happened to them, but this ended up being cheesier than I planned.

They're all older, obviously.

* * *

_I remember tears streaming down your face,  
When I said, "I'll never let you go,"  
When all those shadows almost killed your light.  
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone,"  
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight._

][

She never remembers the details.

But the nightmares must always be the same, because her reactions mimic the night before's. Her eyes always flash open, wide violet irises peering out into the vast darkness, with her small fists clenching the sheets tightly, as though she's going to fall up and float away through the ceiling if she dares to let go. It takes her a long while to realize that she's not alone, that she's in their bedroom and no longer trapped in a birdcage, no longer a siren forced to choke out song after song, no longer some soul-sucking machine – she's free.

She chants this mantra in her head, reminding herself that she's done wandering blindly on her own, that she's gotten through the worst of it and it takes hell of a lot more to knock her down. She's Utau Tsukiyomi, and she's a warrior. She's a fighter, a worthy opponent, a valuable ally, and a ruthless enemy. It takes a lot more than a bad dreams and lingering memories to tear her down.

Sometimes, though, she's unable to convince herself. She'll stare at the ceiling, her mind futilely trying to search for answers to questions she doesn't dare to ask. It's times like these she forces herself to unclench her fingers and seeks out for solace – for him. She curls to her side, and silently buries her nose against his spine, desiring nothing more than to simply blanket all her terrors with the warmth and kindness and all the gifts she knows he can unfailingly give her, just by being there.

And every night when this happens, Kuukai instinctively turns over to face her, a part of him tugging towards that protective drive he possesses. His broad arms draw Utau in closer, wrapping around her slim frame as though they were made for just that. Sometimes she stiffens in response, a part of her still unused to this kind of sentiment, her thawing heart still unfamiliar to his warmth, but she allows him to comfort her, whereas before she'd refuse admit she needed him in the first place.

][

He can't forgets the details.

Every night it's a different scenario, but every ending is the same: he ricochets from bed, breathless and terrified with his heart racing and his eyes wide. There's a beast that haunts his dreams – a ruthless shadow that destroys everything he loves and everyone that he cares for. It reaches into his subconscious, unlocking his Pandora's box and releasing all his fears in front of him. And all he can do is sit back and watch it happen, no matter how badly he wants to stand up and be the hero and save the day.

But he can't, because what truly horrifies Ikuto is that the monster is him.

It's nights like these when he begins to uncharacteristically turn away from her, afraid and ashamed and so unworthy. Terrible thoughts creep into his vulnerable mind, and sometimes he doesn't have the energy to shut them out. These moments of weakness and self-doubt might very well be the end of him.

But there's always a light at the end of every dark tunnel, a beacon of hope and the reminder that she's always there to pull him out whenever he's close to drowning. All it takes is a single touch, a hushed murmur, a shift in the sheets as she inches closer, refusing to let him suffer alone. Amu's love reaches the very depths of his being and he can hear her soft words sinking into his bones, igniting a fire that courses through his veins and brings him back to life, back to her. Within seconds he casts away his demons and reaches for her instead. It's these precious moments that he turns his back on his tragic family history and dares to believe that he can have something perfect in his life, because their story isn't anything like his parents', and his faith in her is unwavering and she isn't as fragile as glass. He's reminded of every moment that this girl – this wonderfully glorious heroine whose disposition outshines the sun – has rescued him, and this gives him the drive to do everything he can to return the favor.

* * *

**A/N:** Feedback is always appreciated.


End file.
